


A Day for a Sprite

by Yunes



Series: Sprites [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Immortal Harry Potter, Male Friendship, Master of Death Harry Potter, Sprite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 22:24:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17816642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yunes/pseuds/Yunes
Summary: A normal day for the Sprite of Death.





	A Day for a Sprite

 

“You know, this being Death business is working out for you unexpectedly smoothly.”

Harry glared up from his paperwork to throw a venomous look at the blond sitting at the desk next to him, doing his own. “What's that supposed to mean? I might not have had the best grades in Hogwarts but I'm not stupid, you know? I am perfectly capable of doing this stuff.” He gestured widely at the stakes of papers surrounding them.

The other raised an arched brow. “Really?”, he drawled, “so you kidnapping me to guilt trip me into helping you sort this mess out was you ‘doing this stuff’?”

The former boy-who-lived blushed and looked away, fixing his gaze on the painting of their former school in front of them. That had been the first item he had placed in the newly christened Death manor, formally known as the Black manor. It had been a gift from Narcissa, who upon his death had inherited the black assets by default. Harry hadn't even know, that he had it in his possession. If he had, he probably would have taken refuge in it during his year on the run. How the lady had managed to legally bequeath the manor to a deceased sprite was anyone's guess, but ever since the paperwork had gone through, it had been automatically infused with death’s power and cloaked from anyone who didn't believe.

Now, the massive estate, that really should be called a castle due to its sheer size, served as his home as well as headquarters. The east wing had been completely refurnished to accommodate human sprites under his command going in and out on their daily work, while the west wing was kept private for his human and not yet deceased friends and family who came to visit from time to time. The grimm and others like them had taken up residence in the surrounding lands still inside the wards. The north wing was still waiting for the house elf duo to touch it up.

Harry, as much as he had cried to see Dobby again, had stayed clear of that area ever since the huge fight between him and Kreacher had started about how to furnish it. Harry had no idea, how he had summoned them. They had simply waited inside the manor for him when he had first gotten it. He had even less of an idea how to handle them, since neither of them seemed to listen much to his orders or pleadings, Kreacher of the opinion that Harry was too young and undereducated to understand and Dobby of the mind that he already knew perfectly what Harry wished for. Honestly, their master simply desired to not trod through the yard in the rain in order to avoid their ongoing war. Still, death manor had become home and he wouldn't miss it for the world, even with all its quirks and crazy inhabitants.

Actually, it had been Hermione’s idea that he needed someplace to work and coordinate from, when he had asked them for advice, overwhelmed about all his responsibilities. Draco had been the one to suggest Black manor, an estate so huge that the upkeep for a single family - or even twoor three - living in it was too wasteful and not worth the effort. Ron had been the one who had first realised that they could have had a place to stay when they were seventeen. A depressed golden trio had been laughed at by the new Black heir, who seemed just as smug as he was shocked to learn that he knew more of Harry’s former assets than the boy himself. He blamed it on his lacking education. For just this once, Harry had been disinclined to argue.

“I- At least it gives you a reason not to attend the last-minute preparations for the fund raising ball that Cissy has been fussing about these past three months. This understanding is mutually beneficial - or would you rather I tell your mother you have the time to help her after all?”

The former Slytherin blanched. “You wouldn't dare! And besides, I didn't mean it like that anyway.” He rearranged a stack of paper, pouting. “I mean, usually stuff goes downhills for you pretty fast. But ever since you became death, there has been no major crises. You know, like crazy wizards and mass murderers after your head, disappearing or petrified people, unwilling tournament participations and so forth. So yes, being Death is probably the first thing in your life that goes smoothly.”

The raven haired boy gave the young man an annoyed and rather incredulous look. “My two deceased house elves are having an all-out brawl for years now, making a huge part of this estate unusable. My grimm and reapers are in a Cold War, that makes the actual Cold War look like a kindergarten spat. And I have no idea how to control my own powers, let alone the death business with all the other sprites. It's a miracle the world hasn't been overrun by the deceased yet, inferi or ghosts all the same. Oh, and let's not forget that my guardian tries to avoid me until the end of time. Pray tell, what about this defines as ‘going smoothly’?”

Draco shrugged lazily, a smirk edging on his face as he drawled: “Well, look at the bright side, Hallow. At least you have me. Your afterlife wouldn't be complete without someone to liven it up. You'd be bored to death.”

Harry just snorted instead of an actual answer, but that was enough. After the war they had smoothed things out between them - of course not without a lot of cursing, shouting and the threatening smile of a fearsome mother, that had them gulping as she patched them up.

After their rocky first day and their promise to Cissy that they would be _good boys_ they had started on a quite amicable friendship. It was surprising how well they got along with one another if only they stopped fighting for a second.

It made Harry wonder whether this was how it could've been had he taken Draco’s hand that first day in Hogwarts. Then he snorted and reminded himself, that both of them had had to do a lot of growing up before they came to this point. Even if he had taken his hand that day, they would have likely taken another path to end up here, if at all.

Still, the irony that Draco Malfoy had become his best friend was not lost to him. Ron and Hermione were still good friends, but they were occupied with their own growing family. Visits from the avatar of death became less and less as time stretched. They lived and thrived. He had no business holding them back. Draco though, he was another matter entirely. The Slytherin sought him out, enjoyed his deathly company, no matter what he said on the topic, and generally preferred the Death manor over the oppressing presence of Malfoy manor.

It wasn't that his marriage was an unhappy one. Astoria was a lovely girl… if slightly wild. Draco liked her well enough and loved his son, but it wasn't everything he wanted in life. Astoria and Cissy got on like a house on fire, throwing parties in the name of charity and helping the wizarding world that was still struggling to recover after the war that had cut their numbers nearly in half. The blond man did his share, but it wasn't his favourite past time. He preferred quiet days with his son and the strange companionship he shared with Harry. In his youth, he had always wanted acknowledgement. From the whole world, from his non-existing friends, but most of all from his beloved father. Now, he only wanted to live his own damn life without anyone butting in and giving their unwanted opinion - a common problem in the wizarding world where everything was everyone's business, which might be the reason why he had taken to exploring the muggle one, not that he would ever admit to his excursions.

“Suuure”, Harry finally deadpanned. “I wouldn't know what to do without you brightening my day.” Not that it wasn't true… He gave him a lopsided grin. “On the bright side-”

He never got to explain the bright side as an explosion shook the manor and deafened their ears. For a moment the two looked at each other, eyes wide and pupils dilated with adrenalin. Then they jumped up and ran outside. For a moment nothing seemed amiss. Then they noticed the crater in the south wing’s roof oozing some kind of black substance.

Harry looked at Draco darkly. “You just had to jinx us, didn't you? And here I was, enjoying things ‘going smoothly’ for once.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry guys,  
> This was supposed to be longer, but I couldn't justify my writer's blockage towards the end any longer. So I decided to post short OSs whenever I have something ready, rather than leave you guys hanging for ages;).  
> I do hope you've enjoyed this OS as much as the last!  
> Yours,  
> Yunes


End file.
